Year: 2010

Her Fearful Symmetry

I wanted to read Her Fearful Symmetry because I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife so much, both novels written by Audrey Niffenegger.

While I agree with some of the critics that said the plot and plausability was a bit thin in areas, and I wanted to know some of the characters more, I did find Niffenegger’s signature style – which I can only describe as a wall, and behind that wall a constant ache in the corner of your heart no matter your mood – still in tact. And that is what I craved from Nieffenegger and her second novel, so I was ultimately satisfied.

The story is about ghosts and has quite a bit of the supernatural, which I was expecting to find trite, if not downright tasteless, but I think Nieffengger’s treatment of these ideas was well done. It is so difficult to follow such a triumph and commercial success such as The Time Traveler’s Wife so I am really looking forward to Nieffenger’s next novel, which I expect won’t feel the pressure that Her Fearful Symmetry has. Have you read either book? What’d you think?

Character Put It In Your Belly

Healthy Winter Soup

Ryan’s parents were in town for the weekend, and we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, seeing the sites and sampling all the food that DC has to offer. By the time Sunday night rolled around, we were all ready to relax, so we invited them over for some football, 60 Minutes and soup.

The great thing about this soup, like all soups, is that it’s so easy and no stress. You really can’t mess it up. I served it with a side of cornbread and sliced chicken for the Healy men – Ryan and his dad, Jack – to add into their bowls; it was a big hit.

If you haven’t noticed, my cooking style is to take a bunch of ingredients, throw them into a pot and let the flavors meld. Nowhere is that better suited than a warm Winter soup. This one is healthy too so you don’t have to feel bad when you ladle yourself a second helping.

Healthy Winter Soup
Adapted from my Mother.

Ingredients
1 large can of chicken broth + 1 regular-sized can
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
2 cans small white beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp dried herbs like basil and oregano
1/2 bag of fresh spinach, chopped

To Serve
Shredded Parmesan or Romano
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for the spinach in a large pot, adding more liquid as necessary. Bring to a boil and simmer on med-low until potatoes are cooked (about 35-45 minutes). When potatoes are tender, add chopped spinach and stir until spinach is just tender.

Ladle into bowls and add a bit of cheese and drizzle some olive oil on top. Serve.

See! Easy peasy. What is your favorite Winter soup recipe? Do share in the comments.

Character Gift Guides

Project: Gift Wrap Ideas

I love wrapping gifts. The humble packages that result and wait under the tree are a lovely tradition of patience and anticipation.

This year, I used brown wrapping paper, an old table cloth that I tore into strips, leftover gift tags, raffia, ornaments from Crate and Barrel, and fake berries from an old decoration to wrap many of our gifts under the tree.

You’ll need to set aside a good two to three hours to wrap gifts depending on how many you have, and make sure to have several types of tape on hand. For awkwardly-shaped packages, I use packaging tape to hold everything in place as opposed to regular scotch tape.

Ornaments work great as an alternative to bows and ribbons, and cost about the same (although I found these for cheaper). Try stringing raffia, string or ribbon through the holes in a relatively flat ornament (see top photo) to add a quick embellishment; a treat before you even tear off the paper. Smaller ornaments can be attached just like gift tags.

I love that extra bit of delight.

Guest Posts Happiness Inspiration Knowing yourself

You Don’t Need To Settle

This is a guest post from my dear friend and change-maker Sam Davidson. Sam Davidson is a writer, entrepreneur, and dreamer who believes that the world needs more passionate people. To help people find and live their passion, he has written 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need. He is the co-founder of Cool People Care and Proof Branding, and lives in Nashville with his wife and daughter.

50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need from Point House Films on Vimeo.

Finding and living your passion is a process. It’s not something you do once over the course of an afternoon at a coffee shop and are done with. It’s a journey you live deeply, repeating as necessary until you die. It’s a commitment, a lifelong pursuit, and a work of epic proportions. Once you decide that you must find your passion, you cannot settle until you do.

This is something I learned from Rebecca Thorman. She doesn’t settle. And neither can you when discovering what it is you love, who it is you’re becoming, and what it is you’re passionate about.

I’ve met Rebecca once. Nothing about her was second rate. The coffee shop where we met, the sushi place we grabbed dinner, the martini bar we went to after that – it was all top notch. Look at her blog design. Read about her boyfriend. Check out what she does for a living. Look at pictures of where she lives (or used to). What about this woman screams compromise?

Nothing.

Take heed: you can’t settle when you’re looking for your passion. You also can’t settle – once you find it – as to where that passion takes you.

For some people, a passion becomes a profession. For others, it becomes a wonderful hobby to explore after work or on the weekends. Some become passionate about a cause and others about people. Be warned: when you decide that you can’t be anything but passionate, you are beginning the journey of a lifetime.

But, what a wonderful journey it is! I firmly believe that the world needs more passionate people. This is why I wrote 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need. Using the excuse to eliminate excess from our lives, I also detail how getting rid of what doesn’t matter can help you discover what does. The same is true in reverse: once we find what’s truly important, everything that isn’t can fade into the background.

Have you seen pictures of what Rebecca cooks? Doesn’t it want to make you do the same? Your passion will be similar. Once you find it, others will see the contagious fire within and want to find theirs. And when they do – when a friend or colleague tells you that they want to be as passionate about something as you are, make sure to warn them. Let them know that if they truly want to find that which makes them feel alive, they can’t compromise. They can’t settle. They’ve got to follow the journey until it’s logical and exciting conclusion. Your passion demands nothing less.

Serious applicants only.

Other things (actually in the book) that you don’t need:
#3: Untaken risks
#12: Pictures that don’t mean anything
#47: A job you hate

Contest:
Share your passionate story in the comments. What is it that you’re passionate about? How did you find it? How long did it take? Where has it taken you now? One lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need.

Character Community Place Profiles

Staying Alive

On the way home, I walked past the men’s shelter and met Walter, catcalling for money, and Pierre, sitting on a bench behind him on Carroll St, under the shaded trees that lined the Capitol Square.

Walter was from Chicago where he had gotten kicked out of his apartment for having the wrong kind of people over. He snickered at the memory and lit a cigarette. He had family in Madison, that’s why he was there. Pierre was more motivated and as Walter leaned back, Pierre leaned forward; he was from Chicago as well. Pierre was looking for a job. He was working for the day-laborer companies just until something else came up. He didn’t have a bank account, but he tried to save as best he could. As Pierre spoke, Walter blew smoke directly in my face. I held my breath.

Walter turned away and Pierre focused all of his attention on me – Where was I from? Where did I live? How long had I been in Madison? What did I study in school?

It was humid and hot under the bangs on my forehead, and I was only a block from home. I shifted, told them I would see them around. Suddenly, Walter was all the way on the tips of his toes.

Around here, he asked?

Yeah, around here, soon.

In participation with #reverb10.

Accountability Inspiration Knowing yourself

Just One Word

You know how in Eat Pray Love, the sage memoirist Elizabeth Gilbert summarizes entire cities and personalities into one singular word? New York City is predictably assigned Achieve, Stockholm receives Conform, and the word Attraversiamo, which means “let’s cross over” in Italiano, is eventually assigned to Gilbert herself.

Now there is even a Facebook group to one-word devotees, where the city Provo, UT gets Marry, and Jacksonville, FL is stuck with Ridiculous. But there’s no need to stop at cities and people. Much can be acutely summarized in one word – your dinner meal, a presidency, a TV show – and now, as the year comes to a close, the last 365 days.

I’d like to tell you my word for 2010 was Sex! or Moola-oh-la-la, but alas, my every day isn’t filled with lingerie and shopping. We can save those words for the The Real Housewives or perhaps, Penelope Trunk (I only jest).

No, this year brought about a reverie from anxious comparisons and slowly, but surely I learned to lean less on my measuring stick for support. Perhaps most revealing is that my lungs experienced the luxuriate familiarity of full and deep breaths again and again, sometimes for entire days.

People will often ask me how I like DC or what my relationship with Ryan is like, and I will reply, “I feel like I can finally breathe.” Shorthand, which I hope people understand to mean that Ryan and the city allow me to sink into more of myself. They allow me to be more of me. People will often say Comfort to describe being able to be themselves. But I think it is more than that, as it is also Challenge.

The dichotomy between comfort and challenge is where I found my word for 2010 sitting in flashing lights above my head as I pondered (and is also my sorry attempt at describing Love which selfishly eludes description).

It is not really a word to describe the entirety of 2010, but rather the result of each day following the day before it. The word is – Confidence. That is, this is the year I got my mojo back.

Hello, Mojo.

Incidentally, when I did this exercise last year, I expected the year of 2010 to be all about Friends, Social/Culture. Yes, that is how I wrote it, forward slash and all. Which is exactly what DC has been the past two months, plus a healthy dose of Family. Funny how things work out in the end.

(The year of 2009 carried the theme Ryan/Alice, Love is All Around in case you were wondering).

My choice for a feeling to carry me into 2011 is Follow-Through. It’s a dull choice perhaps, but also full of intention, continuance, and completion. And it has so many great translations from its literal definitions like “movement after the release,” and “continue until all motion of body has ceased,” – all of which are so lovely when you apply them not just to baseball or golf, but to the excruciating discipline of self.

So, cheers to that. And cheers to you, dear reader, and whatever word you have in mind for 2011.

In participation with #reverb10.

Character Put It In Your Belly

Pearl Couscous with Olives and Grape Tomatoes

Post author By Rebecca Healy
Post date November 23, 2010
No Comments on Pearl Couscous with Olives and Grape Tomatoes

Here’s one that I’ve made a few times. The original recipe calls for you to roast the tomatoes in the oven, cool the tomatoes and cool the couscous – but I don’t have the patience for all that. So I just pan-fry the tomatoes and mix things up when it’s still warm. Since I haven’t roasted the tomatoes I can’t tell you if it’s any better, but I can tell you that my version is pretty darn good.

Meat-lovers can add sliced and fried chicken, but as usual, I prefer the dish without meat.

Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2002.

Makes 6 servings

For tomatoes and dressing
2 pt red grape or cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 lb)
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

For couscous
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 1/4 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Prepare tomatoes and make dressing:

Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan. Add garlic. Halve tomatoes through stem ends and cook in the pan until the tomato skins is just slightly shriveled.

Puree remaining oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chili pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.

Make couscous:

Bring broth to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and stir in couscous, then simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Transfer couscous to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing, pan-fried tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Try not to eat entire bowl at once.

Character Finds

Irony

Ryan made a delicious steak, baked potato and steamed broccoli dinner on Monday night. I joke that he only knows how to make four different meals, but to his credit, he can make those really well. We accompanied the meal with this bottle of wine and it too was really good. From the bottle: “this Napa Valley Cabarnet Sauvignon offers ripe fruit flavors of raspberries, black currants and succulent blackberries supported by medium tannins and a rich, smooth finish.”

I’m no wine connoisseur so that is the official description for you.

I would say it was a beautiful red-purple out of the bottle, and in your mouth. It did indeed have a delightfully smooth finish in contrast to a very dry red we had had at a dinner party the night before. Normally, I have water and wine together for a meal, but this wine had my full attention. I think it’s rich flavor and smooth finish is better suited towards Fall than a drier wine, and it’s just perfect for your red meat dishes.

Character Put It In Your Belly

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Toasted Pecans

Post author By Rebecca Healy
Post date November 16, 2010
4 Comments on Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Toasted Pecans

I made this dish just as Ryan and I were starting to feel better and oh man, did it do our bellies good. It’s a deliciously tasty dish that will wrap you in Fall aromatics as you cook.

The original recipe didn’t call for sausage, but since Ryan won’t eat a meal without meat, I chose a sweet sausage to accompany the dish. I think I would have preferred it without the sausage (it was pretty rich with it), but the beauty of risotto is you can add and subtract what you will.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Toasted Pecans
(and Maybe Sausage)
Adapted from Oprah.com.

Ingredients

6-8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion , finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
2-3 cloves small garlic , finely chopped
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8-16 large sage leaves , chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 pkg sweet sausage

Preparation Instructions

On a side burner, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then reduce the heat. Keep it on low.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice; stir until well coated, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and squash and continue to stir another 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium and ladle in a 1/2 cup hot stock. With a wooden spoon, stir until the liquid is absorbed but the rice isn’t sticking to the pan.

Continue adding 1/2 cup stock and stirring until the stock is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (Note: I think I overcooked the risotto a tad since I was trying to get the squash to cook. So, make sure you cut your squash small enough, or cook it a bit before you add the arborio rice.)

While the risotto cooks, add the sausage to a frying pan with a few tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and cover, simmering for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess water and fry to a golden brown color. Slice the sausage and put aside.

Remove risotto from heat; add the sage, butter, and salt. Season with pepper. Stir to combine. Place risotto in a serving bowl and top with Gorgonzola, pecans, and sausage. You only need a bit of the Gorgonzola and pecans to dress this dish up to be absolutely mouth-watering. Do you have any good recipes for butternut squash? Enjoy!

Character Things to Do

Take a Walk Through the Smithsonian

Post author By Rebecca Healy
Post date November 15, 2010
7 Comments on Take a Walk Through the Smithsonian

Ryan and I have been trying to do something new around DC every weekend since I’m new to the City. A couple weekends ago, we went to the National Archives to see the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, and this past Saturday we went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. It was a beautiful day, and lucky for us, there were some great exhibitions.

I took some photos with my iPhone – won’t you take a tour with me?

Several of the exhibits had quotes painted on the walls to help you understand the surrounding art. This was my favorite, and Ryan mentioned all the quotes about art equally applied to entrepreneurship.

We didn’t know it, but there was an amazing Norman Rockwell exhibit going on, compiled from the private collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I didn’t know much about Rockwell before the visit, but I definitely left with a huge appreciation for his art and storytelling abilities. He was the master at telling a story without giving away the plot or ending so you would be intrigued enough to buy the magazine or read the article his work accompanied.

My favorite was this piece called the Juror where a solitary woman sits with a large group of men all around her, presumably trying to persuade her towards their point of view.

Next, we moseyed on over to the National Portrait Gallery where we found a great exhibit on Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer. The photos are from the point just before Elvis Presley was really famous, and I thought the collection was superbly curated. You really felt the energy of anticipation and stardom as you walked through the different rooms. I only wished “Hound Dog” was playing in the background.

Finally, we decided to head up to the top floor and check on the modern art. Most of the pieces seemed to fall flat (although we did get to see some Georgia O’Keefe, Jenny Holzer and Edward Hopper) after the richness of Rockwell, but this installation was screaming for our attention.

It seemed gaudy and obvious at first, but I learned each television and the images projected on it was the artist’s impression of that State – whether personal or associative. It was pretty fun finding different States and comparing the artist’s associations with our own.

This is the type of modern art I love – shapes, geometric patterns and such. The placard next to the painting explained that the artist said, “Screw stories” or something like that, which I thought was a nice contrast after seeing the work of Rockwell.

Finally, here is a photo of how beautiful the architecture was in this museum, which really added to the experience. I can’t wait to go back, especially to try working in the amazing Courtyard Cafe. Do you have a favorite museum or piece of art you like to go visit? Let me know in the comments!

Character Put It In Your Belly

Network Roulette, Bronchitis & Stuffed Cabbage Comfort Food

Post author By Rebecca Healy
Post date November 10, 2010
2 Comments on Network Roulette, Bronchitis & Stuffed Cabbage Comfort Food

Did you see? Brazen introduced Network Roulette today! I’m seriously a Network Roulette addict and not just because of my disclosed relationship with the company. I’ve been to a ton of real-life networking events – heck, my last job was to create those events – and Network Roulette truly mimics those experiences. I love helping people and Roulette makes that super easy to do.

Speaking of help, Ryan and I have discussed getting a live-in masseuse. Some people have butlers, but we would like a masseuse. Especially when we’ve been sick like the past week and a half. Ryan went to the doctor on Monday and actually has bronchitis. I haven’t been, but whatever I have has been holding on for a good ten days now. Ugh.

My only solace has been cooking (when I actually feel like eating), and I’ve been making a lot of comfort food, what with the change in weather and the constant coughing, sneezing and dragging. I stooped to ramen a few days ago, but I thought I’d share a recipe with a bit more substance.

Stuffed cabbage is some of the best comfort food and the batch that you see above was as delectable as cabbage can be. The beauty of stuffed cabbage is that you can use any of the leftover veggies you have in your fridge. I happened to have carrots, green pepper and celery in mine, but you can try others (potatoes would work well, for instance).

It looks like a lot of work, but it’s all quite cathartic – especially when your cute little cabbage packages go into the pot.

Stuffed Cabbage
Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

1 extra large pot of water
1 large green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic, finely chopped
2 cups cooked rice
8 ounces ground beef (1/2 pound)
8 ounces ground pork (1/2 pound)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes, oregano
1 medium green pepper, grated
2 carrots, grated
2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
4 cups tomato puree and tomato paste
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and grated
3-4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish

To Serve on the Side

1 pkg wide egg noodles
1/2 can of sauerkraut
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 onion, sliced

Preparation Instructions

Using a paring knife, cut around the center core of the cabbage to remove it. Boil water in a large put, preferably not aluminum which reacts badly with cabbage. Add cabbage and as the outer leaves become bright and slightly tender, remove them with a wooden and fork. Repeat brief cooking and removal of leaves until all leaves are cooked. Reserve 2 cups of the cabbage cooking water. Trim thick center vein from bottom of each leaf (watch the video to see how). Reserve four large outer leaves to line bottom of pan.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic, and cook until golden and tender, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, beef, pork, salt, pepper, parsley and oregano flakes, green pepper, and carrots. Stir to combine.

Add about 1/3 cup rice filling to one cabbage leaf. Fold sides of cabbage over filling, and, starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling. Aren’t they adorable? Told you so.

Line a 5-quart Dutch oven or extra large pot (I just used a big pot) with reserved outside leaves. Transfer stuffed cabbage leaves to the pot.

In a large bowl, combine tomato puree/paste and the reserved 2 cups of cabbage cooking water. Pour some of the tomato sauce over cabbage to almost cover. Sprinkle apple and a few tablespoons of sauerkraut over top of cabbage leaves. Add the bacon slices on top. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer; cover. Cook for 1 hour or until cabbage is very tender, adding additional tomato sauce as needed.

While your cabbage packages are cooking, cook egg noodles according to package. Add the sliced onions to a pan with a tablespoon of unsalted butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the caraway seeds and the rest of the sauerkraut. When pasta is cooked, drain and stir in the onions, caraway seeds and sauerkraut mixture.

Place sour cream in a small bowl, and ladle in about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce from the cooked stuffed cabbage rolls. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream mixture back to Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Serve with egg noodles and additional sour cream.

Enjoy, these are like little food hugs. And this is a good one to invite your favorite friends over for – otherwise, you’ll be eating cabbage for days!

Character Photos Things to Do

Pumpkin

We made it to the East Coast! While we’re putting the finishing touches on settling into the new city, I wanted to share this photo from one of the last things we did in the Midwest – a visit to the pumpkin patch! It was right in the middle of all the moving mania, and Ryan and I drove to Illinois to visit my mother. It ended up being the perfect relaxing break. Have you been to the pumpkin patch yet?